Method of marking x-ray films



July 24, 1928. 1,678,038 P. K. EATON METHOD OF MARKING X-RAY FILMS Filed May 1927 INVENTOR 22 .4 9 f7}; -4 5M WW d/w.

ATTORNEY Patented July 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES rmaasa,

PHILIP K. EATON, OF OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON."

amnion or MARKING X-RAY FILMS.

Application filed May 9, 1927;" Serial No. 1a9,95s.

, It is desirable in connection with photo graphs made by X-ray apparatus to have the film carry suitable words or figures or other marks which serve, either by themto the film so that the surface of the paper 5 selves or in connection with other data, to indicate the time when the photograph was taken, the reason :for taking it, etc. Such data is particularly desirable in connection with personal injury cases and it is, of

course, very important that the record on the film itself, and that will be transferred to the prints made from it, be not only as permanent as thephotograph on the filrn' of the injured parts, but as full andcomplete as possible. However, it is common practice in large institutions that have to do with personal injuries to merely photograph on the film, simultaneously with the taking of the-photograph of the injured part, anumber that corresponds to the number appear ing on a. writtenv record of the patients case,such number being made to appear on the film by. the use of figures out, after the manner of a stencil, in a lead plate which rests upon the holder in which the film is located. This method of identifying an ray film with the hospital or other record that is kept of a patient is objectionable for a variety of reasons which vit does not seem necessary to here set forth as such objections are well recognized by hospital attendants, and also by lawyers in their trial of personal injury cases.

I It isthe object of my invention to provide a method by which, ,and by the employment of very simple means, a quite comprehensive record may be photographed upon the film so that upon such film, and, of course,upon all-prints made from it, there will appear 40 in addition to the number given to a patientsv case, his name, address, date of the photo-' graph, name of the hospital, the surgeon, etc. Briefly, and rather broadly stated, I accomplish this by wri-tlng on a piece of paper the 4 film, then placing such paper :against the film with that surface of the paper on which is the writing lying in contact with the film,

cate writings be exactly opposite or in regisdata that it is desired shall, appear on the vnates, but will also reproduce onthe film the written matter that is on said piece of paper, Itisobvious, however, that if a piece of paper is arranged with reference '60 on which the writing has been made in'the usual manner lies directly against the upper surface of the film the writingwill be transferred to the filmin a reversed position, and, furthermore, unless'the exposure to the ray is of shorter duration than is usually desired, the reproduction of the writing on the filmis apt to besomewhat blurred and therefore not-wholly satisfactory.

To ensure a' more perfect identifying record of the written matter on the film I simultaneouslyproduce a plurality of copies of the; written matter, and arrange two of' them on opposite sides of the film with the written matter oneach in direct contact with a surface of the film,v and with one of'such copiesreversed relatively to the other; As it is, of course,necess ary that the; two duplitry one with the other, it will be evident that with the written matter ineach instance faced against'the film oneof the writings must be reversed as above stated. In putting into practice my improved method I employ a sheet of carbon paper so folded over upon itself that the carbon or impression SL113? face is outermost, and this folded carbon sheet is then arranged between apiece of writing paper that is folded over upon the folded carbon sheet. With these two papers so arranged it will be seenthat any writing made upon the outer surface of-one leaf of the writing paper will, by the act-ion of the carbon, be reproduced in reverse on the-inner surface of said leaf and also in the form ofa perfect duplicate on the inner surface of the other leaf of the writing paper, and it will be; these two carbon writings,-onein reverse and the other an absolute duplicate of the original,-that will, whenthe carbon sheet is separted from the writing paper and the latter placed with its, two leaves on opposite sides of the-film, come in contact, respectively, with theqtwo-surfaces ofthefilm. j ,v 0

Obviously, the simultaneous making of the two writings,one of which is reversed with respect to the other,which are arrangedto lie in contact with the surface of the film, as U stated, might be producedby employing an unfolded sheet ofpaper that was carbonized on both of its sides, but as sheets carbonized only on one side are in general use, and when folded as described, are perfectly satisfactory for producing the desired result, I prefer to use such a folded sheet.

In the accompanying drawing are shown the means employed by me for practicing the improved method.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a piece of paper folded once upon itself, and upon which the matter that is subsequently to appear upon a film is tobe written, and showing also a carbon sheet inserted between the two leaves formed by the folding of the paper.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a strip that has been detached from the piece of paper after the desired written matter has been placed thereon, and preparatory to placing such strip in place on a film.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a portion of an X-ray film with the paper strip of Fig. 2 partly in place thereon; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-section through an ordinary film holder with a film therein and the strip of paper that is shown, in Fig. 2 lying ifin close contact with both surfaces of the In the drawing the thickness of the paper and the carbon sheet is, as will be understood, very considerably exaggerated.

Referring to the several figures of the drawing :5 indicates a sheet of writing paper folded upon itself centrally so as to form two leaves, and across the paper are preferably a series of lines of perforations, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1, whereby strips such as shown in Fig. 2 are adapted to be easily detached. Each of the divisions of the paper 5 made by these lines of perfo-.

rations is to be wide enough to have written or printed thereon by a pen, pencil or typewriter sufficient matter toconstitute quite a. full identifying record and at the same time not be so wide as to interfere with the production on the film of the required.

showing of the injured member of a patient,

I or such other thing as may be the subject of investigation. Such a strip will ordinarily be placed in position on a film near one of the end margins of a film, as in Fig. 3. The detached strip of paper shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is marked by the reference character 5.

The carbon sheet that has been referred to and that is shown in Fig. 1 is indicated by 6. It is folded upon itself to correspond to and lie within the folded paper 5, and as indicated it is folded so as to bring its carbon surface outward so thatsuch surface will lie against the inner surfaces of the two leaves of the paper 5. The result will be, ofcourse, that any marking made upon an outer surface of one of those leaves will be reproduced upon both of the inner surthe leaf that the user writes upon being reversed while the reproduction upon the other one will be a perfect duplicate of the original. 7

'7 indicates'an ordinary X-ray film, and, as clearly indicated by the strip 5* that is partially in position'on a film in Fig. 3, the two reproductions of the matter that has been put uponthe strip will lie respectively opposite the upper .and lower surfaces of the film, and when such strip is held pressed closely to the film as will be the case when locked in a holder, as in Fig. 4, such two reproductions will be in registry with each other. The result of this arrangement isthat the film is shielded by the strip and particularly by the registering printed matter that has been placed thereonv so that when the film is subjected to the action of the X-ray the desired identifying. matter will appear upon the film to the-same extent as the showing made thereon of the member orthing that is at the same time resting on the outer wall of the film holder.

8 indicates the main or body portion of an ordinary double screen film-holder or cassette, between the top wall of which and a hinged cover or, closure member 9 the film7 with a marked strip 5 arranged thereon as describedis adapted to be tightly held. 10 and '11 indicate the usual intensifying screens that are attached. respectively to the opposed faces of said upper wall and closure member. t

It is frequently necessary to place the film-holder in various positions other than horizontal while the X-ray is directed upon said written matters being placed directly opposite each other and being the same in all respects except that one is reversed with respect to the other, each of such written matters lying in directcontact with one surface of the film. and then subjecting the film to the action of the X-ray. I

2. The method of marking an X ray film for identification, which consists in writing upon an outer surface of a piece of paper that is folded upon itself and has between the two leaves that are formed by the folding of the paper a carbon sheet that is also folded to present its carbonized surface to the inner surfacesof the two leaves of the said folded paper, whereby the writing will be reproduced in reverse on the inner surface of the leaf of the piece of the paper a that has been written upon and in duplicate upon the inner surface of the other leaf, then separating the said paper from the carbon sheet and placing it on the film with the surfaces that bear said reproductions in contact with the opposite surfaces of the 10 film, and then subjecting the film to the action of the X-ray.

PHILIP K. EATON. 

